The Distance Between Us
by of Burnt Roses
Summary: When the justice system failed Sasuke Uchiha, he left the city to take matters into his own hands. Now, seven years later, Naruto Uzumaki works for the FBI and he's about to get reacquainted with his old friend in a way he never imagined. NaruSasu AU
1. Prologue

**Warnings: **Male/Male relationships. Meaning there will be sexy time... eventually. Don't like, don't read. I don't go to your het fics just to say, "Ewww, are they straight? Gross." (Though that would be pretty funny.)

Murder and detailed descriptions of crime scenes. It can get a bit squeamish at times if you're not used to it. Though for the most part, I think it's pretty tame.

Akatsuki Members shamelessly being killed off. I sorry, I hate to do it but it's for the plot. I don't care how insanely awesome Hidan and Kakuzu are, or how much you want to have Deidara's babies. **NO ONE. IS. SAFE.** (Watch none of them die. I have no idea.)

Lastly, un beta-ed so expect a few grammatical errors now and then. I'll do my best to proof read though!

**AN:** I got this idea at like two o'clock in the morining while making a sandwich. It's not completely thought out yet, so I'm basically just writting it as it goes along. It's crime AU, but I don't pretend I know much about the legal system or law enforcement. (well, techncally I do pretend since I'm writting like I know what the hell I'm talking about... Which I don't most of the time.) I've done some research, and still doing it, but please don't be offended if I get some of my details wrong. Let's just call it... artistic license? ;) Well anyway, I hope you enjoy! Reviews are very welcomed!

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**The Distance Between Us**

-Prologue-

* * *

"God, I love it when they run,"

The door slammed shut as Kiba eagerly jumped back into the passenger seat of their dark cruiser. The car shook from the impact of Kiba's excitement and he turned a toothy grin over to his partner as he slipped back into the driver's seat. "You up for a chase?" Kiba smiled.

"Not like I have much of a choice," Naruto smiled back as the car jerked into motion, sirens blaring as it zoomed down the dark city streets. It's really not part of their job description to actually chase down the perps, that's what the cops were for. But Naruto was never one to sit back and wait while in the heat of action.

The lights from the black BMW were just within sight as it raced wildly down through the once quiet streets. Naruto and Kiba were fast on their heels, adrenaline pumping as they followed the black and red blur. Naruto grinned arrogantly as he noticed the BMW taking a sharp right onto a dark, narrow street, the tail end skidding across the pavement as it turned.

"They don't seem to know the area," .The grin in Kiba's voice was evident.

Naruto shook his head with a small smile, "I guess we could call for back up now. Have them block off the intersections down on Rochester, ASAP."

Kiba nodded wordlessly, shouting his orders through the radio communicator on his side. Naruto sped up slightly, following the BMW down the narrow street. They were about to hit the intersection at any moment. Naruto's hands practically white knuckled the steering wheel as he kept on their tail. After turning down this street, there was nowhere for the other car to got except the main road heading towards the small intersection.

When the BMW took another sharp left, Naruto grinned and followed right after it. He could see the end of the intersection coming into view as he turned and saw the flashing lights up head. When the car reached the intersection, Naruto watched as it turned quickly, the rubber tires screeching loudly across the pavement as it skidded to a halt in the middle of the opening. He could hear Kiba howling with excitement from his right as their cruiser finally reached the car, skidding to a stop a few yards away from the black BMW.

Kiba was already reaching for his holster as he hopped out of their vehicle, approaching their now immobile pursuit. "Step out of the car and put your hands behind your head!" Kiba shouted as he poised his gun and made his way cautiously to the driver's side. From what Naruto could see, the culprits weren't complying.

"Put your goddamn hands where I can see them!" Naruto heard Kiba shout as he followed the brunet's lead and made his way over to the passenger side, his gun ready and poised as well. The two occupants of the vehicle had their head lowered almost out of sight. Suspicious, Naruto beckoned over to the officers already on slight, recognizing a couple of them as officers Yamanaka and Akamichi, for backup. He faintly watched them approach the vehicle behind them as well.

"Out of the car or we open fire!" Naruto shouted, approaching the passenger side closer before pausing when he saw movement. Slowly, he noticed both the occupants raise their hands before stepping out of the vehicle.

"Down on the ground! Hands where I can see them!" Kiba shouted, and Naruto watched as the duo slowly did as they were told. Naruto was almost relieved yet a little disappointed as they went down without much of a fight. They've been after these two for quite some months. Both suspected of multiple accounts of grand theft auto and attempted murder, you'd think they'd put up more of a fight.

"You have the right to shut the fuck up. Everything you say can and will be used against you when they fry your ass on the stand--" Naruto shook his head and tuned out the rest of Kiba's words and forcibly handcuffed the man's hands behind his back and threw him into the back of their cruiser followed closely by his accomplice. Kiba grinned at him from over the hood of their car, "Pretty fucking anti-climactic, huh?"

"Tell me about it." Naruto sighed. "Stay here, I'll thank the kids." Naruto smiled at him as he walked over to the "kids." That's what they all called all regular uniform cops, being just below where he and Kiba are ranked. It's not to be taken in a spiteful way, just a nickname of sorts.

Naruto smiled as he approached the long haired blonde female as she slipped her gun back into her holster. "Hey, Ino!" He waved happily. The woman looked up and smiled.

"Hey, Uzumaki. I see you got your men."

"Of course, Naruto Uzumaki always gets his man!" Naruto grinned. "But you guys got here fast. Thanks for the backup."

"No problem," Ino said as she glanced over at her partner Choji, already on radio. "We were patrolling the area when we got your call. Glad we could help."

Naruto smiled. He knew Ino for almost three years now. She was close friends with his childhood friend Sakura Haruno. They were so much alike sometimes it was almost scary, but even scarier if you actually told them that. They had a tendency to shout and argue whenever they were in the same room with each other, but Naruto knew they were close friends. Naruto had a relationship like that once--

"Earth to Uzumaki! Hello?" Ino waved her hand in front of his face. Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and grinned.

"Sorry, long night. Well I better get back to Kiba before he beats those two half to death. I'll see you around!" Naruto shouted back over his shoulder as he jogged back to his cruiser and hopped into the driver's seat.

"Ready to head back?" he smiled.

"Gun it," Kiba said.

The clock ticked at a quarter past midnight as Naruto Uzumaki sat at his desk as he narrowed his eyes at the offending sheet of paper in front of him. He hated this part of his job. He became an agent so he could help put criminals behind bars, not right reports. But that was half of his job so he knew he had to suffer through it. But really, how the hell would Naruto know exactly what time the criminals were apprehended? He was way to busy chasing them to check the damn time!

Sighing dejectedly he dropped his pen down on his desk with a clatter and reached over to his now luke warm cup of ramen. He had barely been able to eat anything all day, but that was the price of the job, not that he was complaining. Naruto loved his job. He had wanted to be in law enforcement ever since he graduated from high school. It wasn't just the thrill of the chase, or the adrenaline rush he got that made him love his job. It was the achievement and satisfaction he felt after knowing he had helped put a criminal behind bars. Just knowing that he was able to rid this corrupt world of just one criminal was enough to keep him satisfied.

But Naruto was not naïve. He used to believe whole heartedly in the justice system. He believed that anyone who broke the law will eventually be brought to justice. That's how he was raised. His grandfather who raised him was Chief of Police, and even his father was a great law enforcement agent, or so he's been told. His father had been killed in the line of duty when he was just an infant, and his mother died of an illness not long after. He had been brought up by his grandfather, Jiraiya ever since, and he was raised on that belief in justice.

That was up until high school, anyway.

When Naruto was seventeen, he knew a boy named Sasuke Uchiha. He knew him since kindergarten, actually. And even then, they didn't get along very well. They were exact opposites. While Naruto was a sunny, cheerful, and mischievous kid, Sasuke was a dark, serious, and well behaved child. Like oil and vinegar, night and day, they just did not mesh. Naruto couldn't stand how arrogant and well behaved the other boy was and constantly picked fights with him. Naruto would call him a bastard, and Sasuke would call him and idiot, or any other variations on that word, and it would proceed from there.

This lasted all the way through to high school. In high school, Sasuke was popular, smart, athletic, and chick magnet. And Naruto? Naruto couldn't stand him. He hated how many people threw themselves at him, no matter how big of a bastard he was. He hated how smart he was, even if he barely even tried. But even though Naruto couldn't stand him, and they fought and argued like cats and dogs, he couldn't deny that there was always a sort of closeness they shared. Naruto didn't have many close friends back then, and Sasuke, even though extremely popular, only really paid attention to Naruto. Neither of them would have ever admitted it out loud, but they were friends. Not the sleep over each other's house and tell each other secrets kind of friends, but they were friends; in their own weird, corrupted way.

But when they were seventeen, something happened. Something that Naruto had never dealt with and something he could not fully understand back then. Sasuke's family was brutally murdered in his own house when he was just seventeen years old. And the culprit? None other than the person he looked up to his entire life, his older brother, Itachi Uchiha.

Naruto was shocked to find out something like that could actually happen so close to home. He could only imagine what Sasuke must have felt, and even that probably couldn't compare to what the boy was actually going through. Naruto had found out about the whole incident on the news, after Sasuke had been absent from school for two days straight. Sakura had cried for her first love, but Naruto could not cry. Because back then, Naruto had believed that everything would be okay in the end. Sasuke's brother would most definitely be brought to justice for the crimes he had committed, and Sasuke would be relieved. That's what he was sure of.

But that's not what happened. The trial of Itachi Uchiha lasted for almost a year. And being an Uchiha, he was able to get some of the greatest defense attorneys around who would be willing to sink to any level to get the Uchiha out. And in the end, they found Itachi Uchiha not guilty. Soon after, Itachi had disappeared along with a few from his defense team, never to be heard from again.

The justice system had failed Sasuke that day.

Naruto wasn't able to see Sasuke the entire time during the trials. Only managing to catch glimpses of his dejected, sullen face on television and newspapers to see how the other was holding up. It wasn't until the day after the trials that Naruto had seen Sasuke again. Sakura had called him in tears, telling him that Sasuke was leaving; that he was going to find his brother and deal with him on his own. A chill ran through Naruto's body and he went to go confront the Uchiha.

What went down that day was something that Naruto would never forget. Such intense fury and rage was new to him, and he didn't know how to handle such a person. That night, Sasuke had left Naruto in the hospital. And that was the last time Naruto had ever seen him.

And now, almost seven years later, that moment was still a big part of his life, almost like a turning point. It was probably the main reason why he wanted to put himself in the law enforcement business. To prove to himself that maybe he can make a difference in the world, one criminal at a time.

"Still working on that report aye, Naruto?" The smooth, amused sounding voice startled Naruto from his thoughts as he looked up at the tall silver haired man entering his office, his only visible right eye curving in amusement.

"You know how I am, Kakashi." Naruto smiled sheepishly up at his captain. "I don't get off duty until two. I still have time."

"It's one-thirty seven." Kakashi stated dryly. Naruto gaped openly at the time, wondering how he managed to space out for so long.

"Shit, how did that happen?" Naruto glared back down at his unfinished report lying innocently on his desk beneath his ramen cup.

"Something on your mind, kid?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, "No, not really. I guess I haven't been sleeping much lately. This last case was a pain."

Kakashi nodded wordlessly as he walked casually around Naruto's office, kicking a few empty cups of ramen out of the way as he gazed momentarily at a picture on top of his file cabinet. Naruto looked up at the photo Kakashi was starring at and smiled for a moment. It was a picture of him and Sakura after high school graduation. His arm wrapped tightly around his friend's neck, with a giant smile on his bandaged face. Sakura was smiling with a small grimace on his face. She really wasn't the same after Sasuke left, and seeing Naruto in his beat up state back then probably wasn't helping much.

"Ms. Haruno came by for you this afternoon." Kakashi suddenly stated, roving his eyes over the rest of Naruto's small office.

"Sakura? What'd she say?" Naruto asked as he pushed away from his desk and leaned back in his chair.

"Not much. She was just looking for you. She said she'd call you tomorrow." Naruto nodded blankly, wondering what was so important that she'd have to stop by to tell him.

With a sigh, Naruto rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms above his head until he heard that comforting pop. "Well, I better get back to work on this damn report. I really don't want to stay any longer than I have to in this place. It feels like I haven't seen my bed in weeks."

Kakashi nodded and walked around to the front of Naruto's desk. "Good job this time, by the way. You deserve the rest. Finish up here and get some rest. Who knows the next time you'll be able to do so again." Kakashi said ominously with a straight face.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow at his captain suspiciously but Kakashi merely smiled and raised his hand in a silent farewell. At his captain's departure, Naruto slouched back into his seat and continued to glare at his unfinished report. He glanced back up at the clock; it looked like he would be staying late after all. With a sigh, he picked up his pen and tried to get back to work. But in the back of his mind, all he could seem to think about was his old friend, Sasuke. Someone whom he never thought he'd see again.

But little did he know, he was about to get deeply involved with his old friend again in ways he would have never imagined.

TBC

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Yes, I know. It's very short. But it's just the prologue! The actual chapters will begin to get much longer. This was basically just an introduction to some of the main characters. The first chapter should be coming up soon! Please tell me what you think!


	2. Happiness is a Warm Gun

**The Distance Between Us**

**AN:** Here's chapter one! Still pretty short, but like I said, chapters will get longer. Other characters are being brought in now so you know the plots moving along! This chapter is me pretty much bullshitting what goes down at a crime scene investigation. (I never really could get into CSI.) But I hope it makes some sense. Remember: Artistic License! Anyway, for some reason I had a really easy time writing this chapter. It was fun for me. I've never written anything like this before so it was a new experience. But that's enough rambling, ONWARD TO CHAPTER ONE!

And say hello to Sasuke!

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**Chapter 1 - Happiness is a Warm Gun**

"_You're being ridiculous, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. _

_The dark haired teen didn't respond, he barely even acknowledging the other boys presence in the doorway. His back was still towards Naruto as he continued to move around his nearly empty room and dumping things into his suitcase. Naruto scowled at his moving back._

"_This is completely insane! What do you plan on doing? Where do you plan on going? How the hell are you going to survive?" Naruto winced at the desperation that managed to sneak into his voice. Sasuke finally stopped his movements after he dropped a mysterious black case into his luggage._

"_I'm not an idiot, Naruto. I know what the hell I'm doing. I wouldn't just leave without a plan in mind." The finality of Sasuke's voice made Naruto even more frustrated._

"_And what the hell _is _your plan?" Naruto growled out. _

_Sasuke paused in his movements for a moment. "That's none of your concern." He finally says before harshly zipping up his last suitcase and tossing it over his shoulder as he turned to finally face Naruto. The fury and determination in Sasuke's dark eyes almost made Naruto want to step back, but he had to hold his ground. "Out of the way, Uzumaki."_

_Naruto narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms against his chest. "No," he stated firmly. _

_The slight twitch in Sasuke's eyebrow didn't go unnoticed by Naruto. "Move or I'll move you myself." Sasuke said threateningly. The dark narrowing of his eyes left no argument about the seriousness of that threat, but Naruto didn't back down._

"_I'm not letting you leave, Sasuke. You can't just up and go now… you can't just…just leave-"_

"_Watch me."_

_Sasuke dropped his suitcase to the floor. The loud bang of it against the floorboards echoed through the quite room. Naruto didn't move._

"_Sasuke, I-"_

"_I don't want to hear it, Naruto. I won't let you or anyone else get in the way of this. It's what I need to do."_

"_No you don't, damn it! You don't have to take this burden on yourself! I know you're upset about the verdict, but can't you just believe that everything will work out? You don't have to do this!" Naruto tried to reason._

"_Hn, ignorance really is bliss." Sasuke stated dryly. "I told you before; I won't let anyone stop me. I'll do whatever it takes, no matter what that means." _

_Sasuke's eyes narrowed further and Naruto's blood began to boil. Taking that remaining step between them, Naruto grabbed on to the Uchiha's collar and forcibly brought them face to face. Sasuke barely even flinched. "I won't let you go." _

_Sasuke closed his eyes momentarily, as if coming to a decision. "I'll do what I have to then."_

_Before Naruto could even have a chance to react, he was slammed face first into the door, his arm twisting painfully behind his back. "Damn it, Sasuke!"_

_His arm continued to be twisted behind him, the pain racing up his arm and through his shoulder. "I told you I'd do what I'd have to," Sasuke breathed lowly into Naruto's ear, "Even if that means taking you out of the picture."_

_White hot pain shot through Naruto's arm, enough to make him want to pass out. He screamed when he heard the snap-_

"Fuck!"

Naruto shouted, sitting up harshly from his bed. Trying to regain his breathing he looked around his dimly lit room, the early rays from the sunlight peaking in through his dusty, dark curtains. The clock on his bed side dresser blinked 6:13 am at him in harsh red lines. Naruto sighed and brought his hand up to his bare right shoulder, rubbing away the tingling ghost of a break from so many years ago. It was just one of the many injuries he sustained that night.

The sudden buzzing from his cell phone broke Naruto from his thoughts and he reached for the device sitting on his desk. The caller ID read "Captain" and he sighed as he hit the talk button.

"Uzumaki," he croaked groggily into the receiver.

"Naruto, I need you at Hokage Towers Hotel down on First. We've got a 187. Inuzuka's already there, he'll fill you in." Kakashi's voice stated firmly across the line.

Naruto nodded, "Got it. I'll be there in fifteen." _So much for getting some rest_, Naruto thought bitterly.

Hanging up the phone, he stretched his arms above his head and groaned before stepping out of bed and making his way to the bathroom. He'll have time for a five minute shower and a piece of toast before he has to be on his way. He was never really one to stomach much food before he had to visit a murder scene.

By the time 6:22 rolled around, Naruto was already heading out the door.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he stepped through the sliding glass doors and into the high class hotel, feeling slightly out of place. He adjusted the badge attached to his vest self-consciously as he made his way inside. The doorman barely even gave him a second glance, probably already knowing the reason he was there as he wordlessly directed Naruto to the elevator across the lobby.

His shoes moved soundlessly across the polished black marble floors as he observed his surroundings. Tall marble pillars lined the lobby as they accented the floors, adding to the hotel's elegant black white and gold décor. Whoever the victim was must have been pretty well off to be able to stay in a hotel like this, Naruto mused as the gold platted elevator door slid open with a ding.

Naruto stepped inside and hit the button for the 23rd floor and waited. A smile spread across his face as cheesy elevator music played as it slowly brought him to the carnage he was most likely to see on the 23rd floor. He watched the numbers light up one after another; 14, 18, 21, and Naruto fiddled with his hair in his reflection on the elevator doors.

The doors finally part and he steps out into the hall, feet sinking into the burgundy carpet. He can see the swarm of officers from there, all surrounding an open door down the hall and chatting amongst themselves, making it easy for Naruto to tell where all the action was going down.

Naruto approached the scene and nodded a greeting to Officer Abari as he made his way inside the suite. He could already see a few CSIs moving around the rooms, snapping photos and dusting for fingerprints. Naruto noticed his partner Kiba standing in the midst of all the chaos and watching on intently.

"Yo, Kiba, what'd I miss?" Naruto asked as he approached his friend.

"It's about time you got your lazy ass here," Kiba smirked. "Now we can really get started."

"Yeah, yeah, just give me the rundown." Naruto said as he observed some of the cops and CSIs work.

"Well the victim's name is Sasori Iwaiyama, a known criminal around these parts. He was supposedly apart of the Akatsuki gang, but there's no concrete evidence of that yet seeing as how there's no record of any of it's members-"

"So could this possibly be a gang related murder?" Naruto interrupted.

Kiba shrugged, "Don't know yet, but we're not ruling out that possibility. No one's came to collect the body, no relatives or friends or anything like that yet. But considering his supposed line of work, I'm not surprised."

"Right, so I guess we should get started. Talk to the staff down at the lobby, see if anyone seen anything. I'm gonna go look around." Naruto stated.

Kiba nodded, "Sounds good."

Naruto watched Kiba leave the scene and then immediately turned to the master bedroom where he assumed everything was really going on. He stepped into the large bedroom and observed the scene. The body lay sprawled across what looked like a freshly made bed. If it wasn't for the blood, it would look as if the victim had just passed out like that. A bullet wound was clearly noticeable in the center of the victim's head being slightly obscured by the shock of red hair falling over his head. At first glance, he assumed all that red was blood. He was dressed in nothing but a pair of black boxers, a pair of black studs in each ear. He looked like a relatively young, attractive young man.

Naruto stepped further into the room and noticed one the CSIs immediately as Shikamaru Nara. He stood in the center of the room, hands shoved in his pockets as he seemed to boredly gaze around the room. But Naruto knew better, Shikamaru was one of the sharpest eyes in the agency and he knew the man was analyzing every little detail about the scene and committing it to memory. It was almost freaky the way he did that.

But if Shikamaru was here, he knew his partner must be here too. Naruto looked back to the bed and saw the shock of pink hair tied messily into a bun crouching down at the edge of the bed. The sound of the camera clicking filled the room as Sakura took a few more snap shots of the victims face and wound up close. Naruto walked over to the other edge of side of the bed and took a better look at the victim.

"What've you got?" He asked suddenly.

Sakura glanced up from her work wide eyes to see the other man there. "Naruto? You're on the case?"

Naruto nodded with a smile, "Clearly. So what have you got for me? I heard this guy was supposedly apart of the Akatsuki gang?"

"Yeah, that's what we heard too. But it's not much. Whoever did this seemed to know what they were doing. The lack of blood splatter indicates the body was moved from its original spot after the shooting, and the clothes seemed to have been removed and most likely destroyed." Sakura explained easily, as she pointed the lack of blood on the scene.

Naruto looked around and noticed what she said was true; the only blood that could immediately be seen was around the wound on the forehead. He scratched his chin in contemplation and looked back over to Shikamaru.

"And judging by the burn marks around the wound proves that he was shot point-blank… execution style." Shikamaru had intervened.

Naruto nodded, "I've read some files on the Akatsuki, and this doesn't seem like their work. They're way more meticulous and thought out than this. They definitely wouldn't have left the body out in the open. It's clearly the work of someone else."

"This is actually the third supposed Akatsuki member being murdered this month. The other two were both in completely different district, so they weren't connected, but now I'm suspicious." Sakura had murmured the last part more to herself.

"Who would be offing Akatsuki members though?" Naruto wondered out loud, "And if the body was moved from its original place of murder, how could they move it to the 23rd floor without being noticed? He must have been murdered somewhere in this suite. Got anything on that Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru glanced back at the bathroom door across the room and shrugged. "Nothing's come up yet. We sent a few samples down to the lab; it'll take a while for the results to get back though."

Naruto nodded, "Alright, make sure you send the results down to us as soon as you can. I'm gonna go talk to Kiba and see if he found anything yet."

Shikamaru nodded to him as he turned to leave.

"Naruto, wait up a second?" Sakura called as she jogged up to him. Naruto stopped just outside the door and turned back to his pink haired friend with a smile.

"What's up, Sakura?"

"Haven't talked to you in a while. How have you been?" Sakura asked, sounding somewhat distracted.

Naruto shrugged, "Alright. The last case was a real pain in the ass so I was busy nonstop for months. What's going on?"

"Not much. There's ah… something I wanted to tell you. Lunch later?" Sakura asked. Years ago, Naruto would have swooned at the thought of having lunch with Sakura, but over the years he began to see her nothing more than a sister, albeit a somewhat violent and scary sister.

"Of course!" Naruto smiled, "I have a break around noon. I'll meet you at the usual place?"

Sakura nodded once and waved him off before going back over and speaking to Shikamaru. Naruto turned to leave once again and headed out of the suite and back down to the lobby to find Kiba. As he stepped off of the elevator, he already had seen Kiba making his way towards him.

"So what have you got?" Naruto asked.

Kiba grinned, "I managed to get someone down at the station for questioning this after noon, and…" he trailed off, his grin becoming cockier. "I got this." he said, waving a small cassette in front of Naruto's face. "It's surveillance footage from last night that might be able to help."

Naruto grinned happily and patted Kiba roughly on the shoulder. "Sweet! Nice work Kiba. We'll go over it tonight after the questioning. For now, we'll head back up to the suit and help with the investigation. And when we get back to the station, remind me to pull the file on this Sasori guy, yeah?"

Kiba nodded with a smile and patted Naruto roughly back on his back as he ushered him back to the elevator. "Sure thing, sir."

* * *

It was around 12:15 in the afternoon by the time he reached Ichiraku's; the small restaurant that Naruto and Sakura often had lunch at. They had the best ramen. Naruto smiled warily at the thought. It's been a long day and he could definitely use I nice bowl of ramen to get him through the rest of it. It was proving to be a long night too.

Stepping into the restaurant, Naruto smiled and waved at the young lady behind the counter and continued on his way to his and Sakura's usual spot. He wasn't surprised to find his friend already there in their small booth in the corner. Naruto smile as he noticed she has already ordered his favorite ramen and a cup of coffee.

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto greeted happily as he plopped down in the seat across from the pink haired girl. He noticed her eyes narrow slightly and he winced.

"You're late," she stated firmly.

Naruto chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, sorry! I got held up at the station! And besides, technically I'm not late. I told you I'd meet you _around _noon… it's around noon!" Naruto defended pitifully.

Sakura shook her head and sighed, "Whatever, your foods probably cold now."

"Like I care about the temperature of ramen," Naruto said cheekily before digging in. "Thanks! So what is it you wanted to talk about?" He noted Sakura's disgusted face for speaking with his mouth full and then her expression changing to a somewhat nervous air, though she tried to hide it. But she couldn't hide it from him; it was part of his job to notice those things.

She shifted slightly in her seat and took a sip of her coffee. "I ran into Sai the other day," she began slowly.

Naruto looked at her quizzically for a moment. "Sai… Sai…Sai… why does that name sound familiar?"

"We knew him… back in high school?" Sakura explained slowly.

Naruto's eyes widened as a realization dawned on him. "Oh yeah! That weird ass kid from art class who was always drawing me! He freaked me out! When did you see him?"

Sakura giggled slightly as she seemed to relax somewhat, it made Naruto smile. "I saw him a couple of days ago. We ran into each other at the post office, he asked about you."

Naruto grimaced slightly, "I see, so what's he been up to?" Naruto asked absently as he dug back into his ramen.

Sakura shrugged and began to look hesitant again. "I don't know, I think he's a journalist now or something. I'm not sure, he wasn't very clear…" she explained.

"Journalist? I thought he was into art?" Naruto asked through another mouth full of ramen. Sakura ignored it this time.

"Yeah, he… he asked me about Sasuke too…" she said slowly as she looked down at her coffee. Naruto dropped his chopsticks and stared up at her. This must have been why she seemed so nervous and hesitant to speak to him. They didn't talk much about Sasuke since he left; it always made the atmosphere so dark and suppressive around them.

"He asked about Sasuke? Why?" Naruto questioned as he abandoned his ramen and leaned back into his seat, still observing his friend.

"I don't know. I don't think he knew about Sasuke leaving. He seemed shocked that I didn't know how he was and that I haven't spoken to him for years… He said that… that he saw him… almost a week ago… in the city."

Naruto's eyes widened at the news and he slouched back into his seat further, almost at a lost for what to say. Sasuke? Back in the city? Why would he be back suddenly? Naruto's sure he would have heard news if anything had happened to Itachi, where ever he was. And he didn't think Sasuke would come back, if at all, until he had dealt with his brother… unless…

"W-what did he say? Did he speak to him? Where was he? Was he sure it was him?" Naruto asked, beginning to sound frantic, but he couldn't bring himself to calm down.

"I don't know," Sakura began sadly. "He didn't speak to him but Sai was sure it was him. He said he was only a few feet away when he saw him get into a car and drive off down town. That's… all I know."

Naruto sighed and slouched back down into his seat, his ramen already forgotten. Was Sasuke really back? And if so, what did that mean? Whatever the reason, Naruto didn't have a good feeling about it, not at all.

* * *

"It's raining," a silver haired man said as he exhaled a puff of smoke into the chilly night air. Rain drops began to pummel the small overhang outside of the old shop, and Suigetsu crushed his cigarette beneath the heel of his boots. A girl scoffed from beside him.

"Way to state the obvious, dumb ass," she retorted with an undignified snort.

"No one asked you, you bitch!" Suigetsu snarled at the red headed girl as she adjusted her wire-rimmed glasses.

"Tch, you're such a pain in the ass. Why don't you shut the hell up?"

"Why don't you just fuck off?"

"Bit me!"

"Oh, you'd like that wouldn't you?"

"Why you skinny little… I'll kick your-"

"Enough."

The bickering duo stopped immediately as Sasuke Uchiha stepped out from the small shop and out into the rain. The three waiting for him under the overhang followed obediently as he stepped into the driver's seat of his black escalade. Suigetsu hoped into the passenger seat as Karin and Juugo slipped into the back seat. They waited patiently as Sasuke shook the rain water from his hair and reached for the keys in his pocket.

"So, where to now, Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked curiously, "Are we going to find this Deidara fellow that Sasori mentioned?"

"Yeah, as soon as possible. I don't want to stay in this place any longer than we need to, it's not safe." Sasuke explained lowly as he stuck the key in the ignition.

"You used to live hear didn't you, Sasuke?" Juugo's quiet voice called out from the backseat. Sasuke hesitated a moment at the question before turning the key in the ignition.

"A long time ago," Sasuke explained quickly. "But it would still be troublesome if we ran into any old acquaintances of mine."

"Why? Got some crazy ex girlfriends running around here?" Suigetsu smirked, ignoring Karin's frustrated growl from the backseat. Sasuke scoffed and pealed out into the rain slicked streets of this city, tires screeching against the cement.

"Ex-girlfriend's would be the least of my troubles," Sasuke murmured quietly as the image of a blonde haired, blue eyed idiot popped into his mind before shaking it away. It was no time to be thinking about him. He had more important things to deal with.

* * *

**AN2: **Well that's it for Chapter one! I'm working on Chapter two as we speak. Hopefully I can get it out before too long. Reviews really help motivate me! And sorry for the slowness of this chapter, everything is just still getting established. But I promise things will get a lot more exciting! And no worries, Naruto and Sasuke will meet up soon enough. And when they do, you can expect some intense feelings to go down. ;) Again, motivate me with your reviews, my lovelies!


	3. Just to Tear it Down

**The Distance Between Us**

**AN:** I'm so sorry for how late this is! I seem to have lost all inspiration for this for a moment and it was so hard to write this chapter especially with my outline gone. I'm still not happy with it at all but if I didn't post it now, it probably would never be done. Now that I got mostly everything out of the way, I think I'll be able to write this more easily now. Wish me luck and enjoy! Reviews are so much appreciated! :D

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Just to Tear it Down**

It wasn't the first time Naruto had stopped in his tracks whenever he caught a glimpse of dark hair and pale skin on the streets. It had been happening almost every day since Sakura told him of the news and he was finding it increasingly harder to concentrate on his current case when the only thing he can seem to think about was _him_. He wasn't sure how he felt about this sudden development. Should he be relieved that Sasuke was back? Should he be angry at what he had done? He had no idea, the amount of emotions that hit him the moment Sakura mentioned his name were too fast to identify and his thoughts still hadn't ceased.

Finally regaining his senses, Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets and continued to make his way down the street. It wasn't him, it was never him. Sasuke was a thing of the past now, and he had other things he had to deal with. But that didn't stop him from glancing at any man that even resembled his old friend as he made his way to his destination. He glanced at the watch on his wrist; it was 11:14 am. He was already almost fifteen minutes late to the café.

Picking up his speed a little bit, Naruto turned the corner until he reached his destination. It was a small, cozy café' on the good part of the Suna District. Well, as good as the Suna District could get. And that only meant there was less graffiti and hoodlums hanging around. This part was for the small businesses that weren't involved in all the underground dealings of a majority of the place.

The café was called Shukaku. It was a modest establishment, but it was a nice looking place for this area. Naruto glanced at his watch again and cursed as he rushed through the doors, the bells jingling loudly overhead. There weren't many people in the place, only about five if you included the two men behind the counter. Naruto stood by the door as his eyes scanned over the café's occupants. He wasn't there. Naruto would have picked him out easily if he was. With a scowl, he reached into his pocket and fished out his old, scratched orange cell phone and dialed a number.

"H-Hello?" A small timid voice answered over the other line. Naruto's irritation immediately melted at the tone.

"Sorry to bother you, Hinata." Naruto said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head and glance around the café again. Hinata Hyuuga went to the same high school him and Sakura attended. She was also the social worker of the man he was supposed to meet here today. Well, technically she wasn't his social worker anymore since his reached legal age, but they still kept in contact and she was the only way to contact him.

"Oh, Naruto! I'm sorry, is- is Gaara not there yet?" She asked shyly.

Naruto sighed, "Nope, have you talked to him today?"

"Well, I um… talked to him this morning… he- he said he would meet you there. He's probably just running a bit late. He should be there s-soon."

Naruto made his way to the back of the café to a small booth in the back away from the other patrons. He took a seat. "Alright," he said. "I'll wait."

"I-I'm sorry, you know how he is sometimes. So, how are you doing?" Hinata asked.

Naruto smiled at her concern. She was always so caring and sweet. He wasn't surprised she became a social worker, he couldn't think of a better job for her. Even in high school she was always so caring towards everyone, even if a bit shy. Naruto wondered why he never fell for her. "I'm doing alright I guess. Got a lot of things on my mind lately…" he began.

"Oh? Like what?" She asked curiously. Naruto hesitated, wondering if he should tell her about Sasuke. She knew about what happened between them when he left. Hinata used to visit him in the hospital constantly along with Sakura. She didn't take what happened to him so well and he wondered how she would react if she found out that Sasuke was probably back.

"Well, just this current case I guess. It's proving to be a big one." Naruto half lied.

"Oh, I see. Don't work yourself too hard." She warned, and Naruto smiled again.

"Don't worry about me, Hinata! Nothing can bring me down!" he heard her giggle over the line. "So what about you? How are you doing? Any new men in your life?" He asked teasingly.

"N-Naruto!" She stuttered, "T-that's not… it's… that's _personal_…"

Naruto laughed, "So there _is _someone! Come on, you can tell me! Do I know him?"

"W-Well…" She began softly, "We're not really dating or anything but… he- he actually works with you…"

"WHAT!" Naruto shouted in disbelief and ignored the odd stares he received from the other patrons in the café. He already had an idea of who this guy was now. He was certainly acting strange when Naruto mentioned having to contact her. "You are NOT dating mutt-face Inuzuka!"

"I-I said we aren't d-dating! He's just… a really good friend…"

"Really good friend my ass!" Naruto exclaimed. "He's my buddy, but come on… I _know _him! You can't be serious about a guy like that can you?"

"Naruto Uzumaki! I'm a grown woman and will talk to whoever I want! And if you must know, Kiba's been nothing but a gentleman!" Hinata said firmly. Naruto instantly knew to shut his mouth when Hinata sounded like _that_. He'd just have to have a long talk with his partner later.

"Y-Yes, Maim." Naruto said nervously, and then smiled as she apologized to him for yelling.

"So what about you, Naruto? Are you seeing anyone?" She asked suddenly.

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle, albeit it a bit bitterly. "I barely have time to meet women, let alone court them, Hinata."

It had been a while since Naruto had actually been with a woman. His last relationship was probably over a year ago by now and with the constant demands of his job, it was almost impossible to hold a steady relationship. He did have handfuls of one night stands along the way to get him through some lonely nights, but even _that _had been something he hadn't indulged in in a while.

_Maybe I should find a hookup again, _Naruto thought to himself. _Then maybe it could get my mind off some things._

"W-Well you're still young, Naruto. I'm sure y-you'll find someone." Hinata said, breaking Naruto from his thoughts.

He smiled, "Thanks, Hinata."

"Hey," a cool voice suddenly called out to him. Naruto looked up and there Gaara stood, arms crossed over his chest as he stared back down at Naruto blankly.

"Gotta go, Hinata. The prince of darkness finally decided to grace me with his presence." Naruto explained with an amused grin as he saw the young man frown slightly. Hinata said her goodbyes and Naruto placed his phone back into his pocket as he gestured for Gaara to take the seat in front of him. It was time for business now.

"So, Gaara, long time no see. How have you been?" Naruto asked conversationally at first. The two of them were actually pretty close considering they've only met a handful of times and Gaara was about as friendly as a brick wall.

Said man only shrugged and glanced around the café boredly. "I highly doubt you just came here to catch up, Uzumaki." The young man began. "What do you want to know?"

Naruto grinned widely and leaned back in his seat. Gaara hadn't changed much. He was still a no nonsense kind of guy with less patience than a business man waiting for a flight. But he had to admit, he was a far cry from who he was when Hinata first met him. He was an angry kid then, into all types of drugs and practically involved in everything going on in the Suna Districts underground. That's why he was the perfect person to talk to.

"Sasori Iwaiyama, you knew of him, right?"

Gaara scoffed, as if offended he'd even ask. "Of course I did. Even the lowest of scum in this goddamn area knew who he was. He practically owned the place."

"So you know he's dead." Naruto stated, rather than asked. "Shot point blank with a pistol to the head."

If Gaara was surprised, he didn't show it. He only continued to stare boredly out the window beside Naruto's head. "Word like that travels fast," he stated.

"So what have you heard? Any stories floating around that I should know about? Anything Akatsuki related, maybe?" Naruto pried.

Gaara remained silent for a moment as he continued to stare blankly out the window. Naruto wondered if he was really even _looking _at anything. This man was so hard to read sometimes and Naruto kind of hated that about him.

"Those are some dangerous questions, Uzumaki." Gaara began, "You should know better than anyone that the gangs around here don't take too lightly to the cops asking questions. I could get killed just by being seen with you."

This time Naruto scoffed, "As if someone would actually try to tangle with the infamous Sabaku no Gaara. Don't try to play that card with me. You're still feared even though you've been out of the game for a while." A slight smirk played at Gaara's lips, but he still didn't make eye contact with the blonde. "Now tell me what you know."

Gaara fell quiet once again, but his emerald eyes shifted to boredly glance around the cafe. "No one knows who did it, if that's what you're asking."

Naruto shook his head. "I'm just looking for anything I can find," he explained.

Gaara shrugged one more time before finally locking eyes with the blond in front of him. "Well I'm sure you've suspected his murder is connected to the other two murders in the Oto and Taki districts, correct?"

Naruto nodded and Gaara continued. "Well word's getting around that someone's offing Akatsuki members."

"I suspected that," Naruto began. "So Sasori was a member of the Akatsuki, huh? And those other two were as well?"

"That's correct," Gaara stated.

"So does anyone know why someone would be doing this? I mean, they'd have to be pretty ballsy to pull this shit off."

Gaara shrugged and looked back out the window. "I haven't heard of any possible motives. But I have heard there's been someone asking around about them."

Naruto instantly perked up. "Can you tell me about that?"

"I don't know much," Gaara began. "All I heard is that some people were asking around about those other two Akatsuki members before they were found dead. Whoever's doing this clearly has a vendetta against them."

Naruto sighed and slumped back into his seat. "I can see that. But what I want to know is why. And where the hell I would go about finding these people asking about them?"

Gaara didn't say anything for a moment before the two lapsed into silence. "You know, people have a theory of whose next." Gaara stated casually, as if it meant nothing.

Naruto perked up again. "Oh yeah? Who is it?"

"I can't tell you the names because I don't know who runs those districts. But people think this guys going in order. First he killed the one in Oto, and then went to Taki. Next was obviously Suna, and after Suna it's-"

"Iwa…" Naruto finished. Gaara nodded once. "So if this guy's going in order, maybe he's looking for something…?"

Gaara didn't reply as he noticed the blond said the last part more to himself. Both men lapsed into another silence as the quiet chatter of the café filled the coffee scented air. Naruto finally nodded resolutely to himself and grinned widely at the young man across from him.

"Well, thanks for the info, Gaara! I'll keep in touch in case I need you again."

Gaara scoffed and looked away from the smiling man. "Whatever, just don't get yourself killed. I don't think you know how dangerous the inner workings of the Akatsuki actually are. I'd be careful going around asking anymore questions if I were you," the red head warned.

Naruto laughed good naturedly. "I didn't know you cared, Gaara-chan! But you don't need to worry about me. I'm a big boy and can handle myself."

Gaara only frowned lightly at the name. "Just watch yourself, Uzumaki. You seem distracted lately."

Naruto's smile instantly fell. Was he really that obvious? Maybe he really did need to relieve some stress to take his mind off certain things. He really can't have something like that interfering with his work. He needed to have clear head to deal with this case or else he knew he'd get killed. And frankly, Naruto's grown quite found of living. _I'm definitely going out on the town tonight. _

"Like I said, don't worry about me. I'll be alright. It's nothing I can't handle."

* * *

A scowl slowly etched its way to Sasuke's face as he stepped into the thumping night club. His eardrums pounded with the base of the music that sent vibrations through the floor. He hated places like this. The loud music, the swaying bodies, the smell of sweat, sex, and desperation was enough to give Sasuke a pounding headache within minutes. He wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this, especially not one as low class as this unless he had official business.

He forcibly made his way through the swaying bodies of the club, his companions following closely behind as he approached the bar. Resting his cheek on his fist, he knocked the dirty wooden counter to get the bartenders attention. Within moments, a tall dark haired man approached Sasuke with a rag in hand.

"What can I get you?" The bartender quirked a brow at him.

"I'm looking for Deidara." Sasuke said simply.

The dark haired bartender's eyes widened and looked at Sasuke suspiciously for a moment before nodding slowly and heading back towards the backroom at the end of the club. Sasuke slowly turned away from the bar as he waited and watched as Suigetsu chatted up some busty blond that barely gave him a second glance. Catching his eye, Sasuke beckoned him over with a nod. Suigetsu sighed and approached the dark haired man with a scowl.

"What is it?"

Sasuke ignored his tone for the moment. "Keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. It seems this Deidara character is someone dangerous and probably doesn't take too lightly to people asking about him."

Suigetsu nodded slowly as Juugo approached the two. "You think they're on to us, Sasuke? They probably already know of Sasori's death. It's only going to get more difficult here on out."

Sasuke shrugged indifferently, "It won't stop me from finding out what I need to know."

Suigetsu and Juugo nodded as Sasuke turned back to the bar. It's was true. He wouldn't let anything stop him from finding out the information he needed to know. He's been waiting for this for years and he could almost taste his goal. His brother was close, he could just feel it. Sasuke has spent years preparing for this, and now that he felt his brother was close, nothing would stop him from seeking his revenge. The only thing that made him on edge as being back here, to this city and the people he had long since put behind him.

"Sir?" Sasuke looked up at the waiter from before and arched an elegant brow. "Please follow me to the back."

With a slight nod, Sasuke pushed himself away from the bar as Juugo and Suigetsu gravitated back to his side and followed close behind. The group made their way through the crowed of dancing bodies and made their way to the back of the club. The bartender led them through a small hallway in the back behind the DJ's table. The music already sounding more muffled as they walked further down the hall. At the end of the hall was a narrow nondescript black door and the bartender knocked a few times before opening the door.

Sasuke gestured to Juugo to stay outside the door and Suigetsu followed closely behind as the bartender let them inside with a small bow before going back out to the club. As soon as the door shut behind them all sounds from the club were completely shut off, leaving the room almost deafeningly silent.

Sasuke's dark eyes scanned the room. It wasn't too big, but it was made up to look comfortable. The lights were dim and the furniture was wine colored giving it an appearance of an expensive place, but Sasuke could tell how cheap it really was. Five men were in the room, all standing and watching the newcomers with apprehensive eyes as one man sat leisurely on the sofa across the room.

"And what business do you have with Deidara, boy?" Said the gruffly man in the tacky white suit. Sasuke scowled lightly.

"That's between him and me. Where is he?" He demanded, none to gently.

The over size male smirked crookedly, pushing himself to his feet with some effort and slamming his drink down on the streaky glass table in front of him. Sasuke kept the man's gaze as he rose to his feet, standing only a foot over the dark haired male. The man then proceeded to take a step towards him, trying his best to intimidate the leaner male by his sheer size. Sasuke only watched on impassively.

"Deidara's not here at the moment. Perhaps you'd like to take your business up with me?"

Sasuke cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing. "The only thing I need from you is to tell me where to find him."

The larger man huffed loudly as agitation clearly began to take over. Narrowing his eyes at the arrogant young man in front of him he took a few more threatening steps forward. Sasuke kept his ground but Suigetsu immediately began to step forward as the larger man approached until Sasuke placed a restraining hand against forearm. Suigetsu sighed and retreated back quietly.

"If you can't tell me what business you have with Deidara," The gruff man began threw gritted teeth. "Then I'm under no obligation to tell you where he is. Now, if that can't be obliged, then I'll have to ask you to leave."

Sasuke stared up at the larger man boredly and faintly noticing the other men in the room began to congregate threateningly behind him. He counted seven of them in total including the large man in front of him. Between Suigetsu and himself they could easily take them all down. That was of no concern, but these men were insignificant in the greater scale of things. Though they did prove to be an irritating road block in his plans. And since the beginning, he had never shown any mercy to the people who stood is his way. No matter who they were.

He briefly considered simply killing them all but thought better of it as it may attract unwanted attention. The only way to get through this was to get the information out of them by force. Sasuke stared back up at the large man in front of him after scanning the other's in the room. He sighed, resigned.

"I'll give you one last chance to tell me where to find him." Sasuke stated boredly as he placed his hands in his pockets. Silence fell through out the room as the large man in front of him visibly fumed and sputtered in outrage. If Sasuke was a lesser man, he may have found the man's face amusing. But as it were, he had other things to think about.

"Kill them," The man growled through gritted teeth and stepped back as the other men charged at the stoic young man. Sasuke merely stepped back, hands still shoved in his pockets as Suigetsu appeared in front of him and easily took down the first man to charge and swiftly taking out two more after, all the while Sasuke keeping eye contact with the burly man in the white suit across the room. The man looked away from Sasuke's piercing gaze as he watched his men being taken down one by one. Suigetsu may have been thin, but he was fast and the other men barely stood a chance.

As the last man hit the floor with a thud, the large man looked back up at the young man, eyes wide in shock. Sasuke removed a hand from his pocket and made his way across the room, stepping over the bodies of the uncurious men on the floor until he was a step away from the larger man. He looked frightened, and Sasuke smirked faintly.

"Do you still refuse to tell me where to find him?" Sasuke asked simply and watched the large man's eyes dart back and forth between him and his men on the floor. He scowled once their eyes met again.

"You bastard," he growled, sounding reminiscent of someone he used to know. "I won't tell you a damn thing!"

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched as his irritation at the situation only escalated. With a sigh, he reached to the holster hidden on the back of his pants. The man watched his movement's cautiously before he even saw the gun coming. He barely had time to move before the butt of the gun connected sharply to his temple as he blacked out momentarily.

Sasuke watched impassively as the gruff man groaned loudly and crumbled to the floor with a loud thud. He didn't allow the man to regain his senses before he knelt down over the man and shoved the barrel of the gun to his forehead. The man groaned as he blearily tried to open his eyes.

"This is your last chance. I don't have to tell you what would happen if you don't start talking." Sasuke said coolly, only faintly registering Suigetsu walking up behind him.

The man blinked a few more times, as if trying to focus his thoughts. "He's… He's not here…"

Sasuke shoved the gun harder in the man's face. "I can see that. Where is he?"

"Off… on business… in… in Oto." The man explained slowly. "I don't know when he'll be back."

Becoming bored with the situation, Sasuke sighed and retracted his gun. If Deidara wasn't in the city, there wasn't much else he could do at the moment. He placed the gun back in the holster and headed for the exit without another word, Suigetsu following obediently behind. Juugo stood aside as Sasuke and Suigetsu exited the room.

"Well, Sasuke, what's the plan now, huh?" Suigetsu asked.

Sasuke continued to walk as the music only got louder as they made their way to the front of the club again. "If he's not here, we'll have to wait until he get's back." He explained, not bothering to raise his voice over the music. "There's no need to make anymore suspicious moves while we're here. Call Karin and tell her the plan's off and head back."

Juugo nodded obediently and slipped his sleep red phone from his back pocket. Suigetsu jogged up behind Sasuke and tugged on his sleeve with a grin. The dark haired man glared in response but went ignored by Suigetsu.

"Hey, what's the rush, Sasuke? Why don't we stay a while longer and have a few drinks, eh?"

Sasuke only narrowed his eyes further. He was not going to stay in a place like this any longer than he needed. He could already feel a migraine coming on from the obnoxiously loud music and the smell of sweat masked with cheap cologne and perfumes. Suigetsu continued to stare at him almost pleadingly and he let out a silent sigh and closed his eyes briefly.

"You can stay as long as you want. Just be back before morning." Sasuke agreed dryly and discreetly tugged himself free from Suigetsu grip on his sleeve. The other man grinned broadly, teeth glinting and the flashing florescent lights and Sasuke looked over to Juugo who just hung up his cell phone.

"Are you coming?" he asked the larger man. Juugo nodded and followed behind Sasuke as he turned to leave without saying another word to the silver haired man. Making his way through the club once again, he pushed his way through the crowd determined to get out of this place as fast as possible and trying not to make eye contact with all the numerous desperate looking women. In his haste to get though the exit he pushed the door open forcefully, almost knocking out a surprised man on the other side. Sasuke didn't stop to apologized and continued on his way down the street.

"S-Sasuke…" his steps halted and he immediately went on guard. That wasn't Suigetsu or Juugo's voice and Karin was still away. This wasn't good. Anyone who recognized him in this area could cause a great deal of unnecessary trouble. Sasuke quickly debated ignoring the call and continue walking but that would seem even more suspicious. The voice called out to him again and Sasuke lowered his shoulders in a resigned sigh and turned to the voice.

There, he was met with a startled pair wide blue eyes and his breath caught in his throat.

_Shit._

TBC...

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Review... :D?


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